Chris Jackson will have another outstanding year in 2008. Sure, the naysayers will point out that he will be 33 at the start of the season and so is getting a bit old for a premier wideout. They might also claim that he can't work his spectacular magic without the record-breaking Georgia QB Chris Griesen. But a hard look at the facts tells a different story.
In 2006 Jackson scored a very nice 36 TDs. But Jackson had his best season ever just last year, with 145 receptions for 1,915 yards and 47 TDs. So much for old age catching up to him. And the loss of being teamed up with Griesen as QB should not hurt much. In 2008 Jackson will be catching TDs from veteran Tony Graziani. Last season was C-Jax's best year, but his second best year was when he was teamed up with Graziani back in 2003 in Los Angeles, where he caught 46 TDs. And he nearly did the same thing in 2004 with Graziani again. Jackson will enable Graziani to play at his full potential, assuming Graziani can stay healthy of course. Expect the Jackson-Graziani hookup to be a fantasy point rainmaker, and also might just be the thing that takes the Soul deep into the playoffs.
Jackson is also the best choice even when you look at the other available wide receivers. Jackson was second in TDs with 51, only two behind Bobby Sippio who has gone on to the NFL. Jackson was also second only to Siaha Burley in total receiving yards with 1,915. Also, the next best receivers, Burley and Damien Harrell, each have major question marks this year as they are both going to be playing with new quarterbacks. And Harrell was rarely at 100% last year due to lingering leg injuries. Jackson has at least already proven he can excel with his "new" quarterback, Graziani. And even if Graziani goes down for a couple of weeks, Jackson will still be the No. 1 guy in Philly.
So don't worry about the age and the change of QB. Jackson is an uncommon receiver who knows how to create space in the confines of the Arena. You just can't pass up on a guy who was one of the league leaders in both TDs and receiving yards. Jackson is not slowing down, he is getting better. And for anyone who has witnessed some of his stunning end zone grabs, that seem more at home in a ballet than in an AFL game, knows this guy is going to set Philly on fire.
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Philadelphia Soul receiver Chris Jackson will join Tony Graziani and the Soul offense for the 2008 season. There is some debate as to where C-Jax should be drafted in fantasy drafts this year. Some have even said he should be the overall number one pick. However, I feel Jackson is overvalued if he goes within the top 5 picks.
First off, don't get me wrong. Jackson is one of the all-time AFL greats and should do well in the Soul offense. I've got him listed as the pre-season number three overall WR for 2008 behind Harrell and Burley, but that's his best case scenario. Jackson and Graz had some great years while they were in Los Angeles back in the 2003-2005 seasons. However, if you look closer at Jackson's numbers, you will his stats are slowly declining, making him a risky top five pick. With the exception of last year's terrific season with the Force, he has produced only 65 TDs the past three years.
There are a few concerns I have about Jackson this year. One is his health. Jackson has been missing games the past few seasons and is no longer durable. Speaking of injuries, his QB Tony Graziani is injury prone as well, so if owners are expecting a full season of Graziani to C-Jax, don't kid yourself. Graz has missed time due to injuries the past couple of years and I don't see him staying healthy for the full season this year either.
Another concern is the team itself. The Soul just do not have an explosive offense. They have a stout defense, which serves to keep the Soul OUT of high-scoring shoot-outs, which is what Jackson was so much a part of with the Force last year. The Force had so many weapons on offense that defenses had no clue on how to slow them down. That won't be the case with the Soul receivers this year. The Soul does have some above average receivers in Larry Brackens and Kenny Higgins, but they are not of the caliber of Derek Lee or Troy Bergeron. And then there's the question of Graziani and Jackson rekindling their magic from back in the Avenger days. This is a new offense for Jackson and he may need some time to adjust.
As if that's not enough, there are other players on the rise that could potentially post better numbers. I would hope Damien Harrell and Siaha Burley are already off the board with the first two picks, but after that players like Ben Nelson (COL), Derrick Lewis (NO), James Roe (SJ), and Clint Dolezel (DAL) all should perform better than Jackson.
Chris Jackson is a talented WR. I just feel he may be a bit overvalued this year. Jackson will likely go very early in the draft, but with his question marks and health issues I don't see him living up to the hype of a Top 5 pick.
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